social-networks
Interpersonal connections that serve as conduits for information, support, and enforcement of social norms.
2 chapters across 1 book
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000)Robert D. Putnam
Chapter 16 of "Bowling Alone" discusses the steady erosion of social capital in America over the past two generations, emphasizing its critical role in fostering trust, cooperation, and community engagement. The chapter outlines mechanisms through which social capital benefits individuals and communities, such as solving collective action problems, reducing transaction costs, enhancing empathy, and improving health and economic outcomes. It also illustrates these benefits through a stylized example of parents forming a PTA to improve their local school, highlighting how social capital generates civic skills, social support, and collective efficacy.
Chapter 10 serves as an introduction that situates the analysis of social networks and civic engagement within an urban context, referencing key sociological works and datasets. It highlights the absence of class differences in civic disengagement and emphasizes the role of education and demographic factors in political participation. The chapter also notes methodological considerations such as controlling for demographic variables and the potential for synergistic effects to obscure individual-level correlations.